So, Interested in Anyone These Days?
by memnarch
Summary: A tag to the end of Outsiders. McKeller, Beckett/McKay Friendship.


So, Interested in Anyone These Days?

Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate Atlantis. The boys of Bridge Studios, MGM and SciFi own it.

"Now that I think of it, I _am_ a wee bit peckish. Besides, I can't solve all the galaxy's problems in one day, can I?" Beckett said, smiling at his recollection of McKay's earlier remark.

"Well, I said-" McKay began to say arrogantly, before his friend cut him off.

"Shut it," Carson chided him, getting up from his chair and putting his coat back on, "Right, let's go."

As the two made their way out of the infirmary, Beckett clapped the scientist on the back, asking offhandedly, "So, interested in anyone these days?"

McKay's eyes immediately widened, his hands fidgeting slightly. "Me? No, I'm, I don't, uh…"

"You're a terrible liar, Doctor McKay!" Beckett grinned eagerly, "Tell me, tell me, tell me!"

"I'm not lying," McKay said evasively, sticking his hands in his pockets as they strode down the hallway.

"_Please_ Rodney, I'd like to think I know you well enough to know when you're lying, and you _definitely_ like someone. Is it anyone I'd know?"

"Of course you know her, you know practically everyone on the base!" his companion groused.

"So it is a lady then?"

"Ha ha," McKay scowled, "I see you're taking a leaf from the John Sheppard book of humor."

"Touchy…But as for me knowing everyone, that's not true anymore, I'm afraid," Carson shook his head, wagging his finger, "That might've been so a few years ago, but I'm not the chief of medicine anymore, so I don't get to meet everyone who's been assigned to Atlantis."

"Oh…right…"

"So, that must mean the lucky lass is someone I knew from before…or someone I've become acquainted with since my return…"

"Why are you so interested in this?" McKay wondered as they entered the mess hall and joined the queue at the food service tables, grabbing one of the perpetually damp trays.

"Because you're my friend, Rodney, and if you intend to pursue this woman, I think I should help you in any way I can," Beckett replied, "Oh, garlic bread! Looks delicious…"

"You don't see me taking an interest in your love life…" McKay said, loading his plate high with pasta.

"Excuse me?" Beckett said indignantly, "What about when you were pestering me about Dr. Porter a few weeks ago?"

McKay mumbled incoherently for a few seconds at discovering his hypocrisy and, upon seeing his friend's resultant grin, shot him a glare.

"Turnabout is fair play, Rodney…" the Scottish doctor wheedled as they took their seats.

"Turnabout may be fair, but life's _not_," McKay said smugly, biting into his garlic bread with a loud crunch.

"Fine!" Beckett threw up his hands in defeat, "If you're just going to dodge me, we can talk about something else."

"Rike mhat?" the scientist asked, his mouth full to the brim, munching away.

"Ah, well…" Carson paused to consider, twirling his spaghetti around his fork, "What about that Katie Brown? Did anything come out of that?"

"Ri fhought…we weren't going to talk about that!" McKay said irritably, swallowing his bread.

"Oh, touched a nerve have I?"

"No, I…I'd just prefer not to discuss such a sensitive topic with so many people around."

Beckett looked around theatrically at the nearly empty cafeteria.

"Aye, I can see how you would…"

McKay sighed. "Fine. Things were…things were going great for a while, I guess. I even thought they were going well enough to propose."

"You asked her to _marry_ you?"

"Well…sort of. Not exactly."

"I assume she said no to your non-proposal then?"

"Are you going to let me tell it or not?" McKay frowned, tapping his fingers impatiently on the table.

"Sorry…" Beckett said sheepishly.

"Anyway, last year the city went into a lockdown, due to ion storm frying our computers into thinking a quarantine needed to be put into effect, trapping pretty much everyone in whatever room they happened to be in. And it just so happened that I got trapped with Katie in the botany lab."

"I see…"

"Without a computer…"

"Ah…I can imagine that rankled you a bit…"

"You have no idea. Without any clue as to what was going on, I made the _logical_ assumption that there was a disease outbreak and that I might've become…infected…"

"Oh my…and I'm guessing she hadn't seen your more…_anxious_…side yet?"

"No, she _hadn't_…" Rodney replied tartly, "Anyway, when I was lying down she found the ring and I just…"

He trailed off, making a vague gesture before stuffing some pasta in his mouth.

"You put your foot in your mouth didn't'cha?" Beckett said knowingly.

"Maybe…" the scientist said stubbornly, "It was for the best I suppose…I just didn't want to make her miserable, you know? The whole time we were in there I was going on about how sick I was feeling and…I couldn't put her through that all the time."

"I see…" Beckett murmured thoughtfully, "So are you having the same problem with this other girl?"

"What other…I never said…" McKay spluttered.

"You didn't have to say anything," Carson smirked, "But that was a nice confirmation, by the way."

McKay groaned exasperatedly, smacking his head against the table and recoiling sharply. "Okay, _ow_! That hurt…"

"Geez McKay, you've gotta' watch out for those tables. They'll jump right up at'cha," John Sheppard remarked as he strolled up to their table, grinning at Rodney's inadvertent self-injury.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up Sheppard…" McKay said snidely, rubbing his forehead.

"And how are you this evening Colonel?"

"Fine, thanks Doc," Sheppard nodded, taking a seat beside Beckett, "Now, I gotta' know what you two guys might've been talking about, other than the Canucks terrible losing streak this season, that would make Rodney here smack his head against the table."

"I'll have you know that they're only down…hey, I thought you didn't _like_ hockey!" McKay exclaimed indignantly.

"I dabble," Sheppard shrugged.

"Well, Rodney and I were just discussing his latest love interest or rather I was asking him about her and he was refusing to say anything."

"Oh, really?" John smiled widely, "Were you now? Don't worry Doc, I'll tell you all about it."

"What are you talking about?" McKay demanded, "You don't _know _who she is!"

"Oh c'mon, McKay! Even if I _hadn't_ been to the future, I still would've noticed the way you act around her. You're a _terrible _liar."

"Hey, I can lie like the best of them! And-…hey what do you mean about the future? Your report didn't say anything about-"

"Not everything that happened went in the _report_, McKay," Sheppard grinned.

"Wait, did something happen in the future between me and-"

"Hey you guys," a cheerful voice said, causing McKay to jump.

"Jennifer! Hello, how, uh, how are you?"

Carson's eyes flicked between McKay's awkward posture, Keller's puzzled, yet easy smile and Sheppard's self-satisfied look.

"Oh, I see…" he muttered out of the corner of his mouth so that only Sheppard could hear him, "So _that's_ how it is…"

"What are you boys up to?" Keller asked, taking a seat beside a clearly flustered McKay.

Sheppard nudged Beckett and stood up. "Well, the good doctor and I were just leaving. I was thinking about getting him interested in his homeland's national game."

"Ah…_right_!" Beckett said thoughtfully, standing as well, "You know it never really was my thing, but who knows?"

"Can you believe the man's Scottish and never played golf?" Sheppard asked, ignoring McKay's questioning gaze.

"Well, there's a first time for everything I guess," Keller shrugged, "Have fun!"

"Oh, you two as well," Beckett smiled, waving as he left with Sheppard.

"You're right," he said to Sheppard as they left the cafeteria, "It is obvious isn't it?"

"What just _happened_ there?" McKay wondered rhetorically, watching them go.

"I can't say for certain, but they may have just ditched you…"

McKay heaved a sigh, looking perplexed.

"Don't worry though," Jennifer said reassuringly, patting his arm, "I'll keep you company."

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**A/N: Just a little tag to Outsiders I wanted to do. I thought it might be interesting to explore more of McKay and Carson's conversation at the end of the episode. Also, I love the McKeller pairing. Granted, there's not a lot of overt stuff between them here, but if you liked this maybe I can write more. Review and let me know!  
**


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